Nottingham Forest will host Man City in the 28th EPL round opener this Saturday. Nuno Santo is one of the few managers who have a positive record over Pep Guardiola, but this is a very important game for Manchester, as they look to jump into third place and close the gap on Arsenal.
The loser of this match will most likely drop out of the top four, so what should we expect from this crucial encounter?
| ℹ️ Tournament: | English Premier League 2024-25, Matchday 28 |
| ⚽️ Venue: | City Ground Stadium, Nottingham, England |
| 🗓️ Date: | 8 March 2025 |
| ⏰ Time: | 12:30 p.m. GMT on Saturday |
According to the best football sportsbooks in 2025, Nottingham Forest are the home underdogs at 2.10 (11/10). A draw is offered at 3.60 (13/5), while Man City are the away favorites at 3.50 (5/2) to defeat the Tricky Trees at the City Ground.
Forest have not been able to defeat the Citizens since their promotion in 2022; as in the last five head-to-head games, Man City won four and drew once. All four victories came with clean sheets as well.
Nottingham Forest are currently in third place in the Premier League standings with 48 points. Forest knocked out Ipswich Town from the FA Cup last week, and they will face Brighton in the quarterfinals this month.
Forest are coming off a 1-1 (5-4) home win over Ipswich Town in the FA Cup. The Tricky Trees were big favorites in this matchup, but they struggled and barely got a draw, then won on penalties. If Nottingham manage to hold their position until the end of the season, then this would be their first-ever top-four finish in the Premier League era.
Nottingham Forest are as healthy as it gets for this game, as Carlos Miguel is the only absent player.
Man City are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League standings with 47 points. The Citizens lost to Real Madrid in the UCL knockout playoffs, but they still have the FA Cup to play for, and they will face Bournemouth in the quarterfinals in three weeks.
The Citizens are coming off a 3-1 home win over Plymouth in the FA Cup. Nico O’Reilly had his first brace for Man City, and Kevin de Bruyne scored a goal, as Pep Guardiola rested most of the regular starters in that game. The Citizens are having a good run in the league, despite their struggles at the start of the season.
Man City have no new injuries, but Rodri, Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb, Manuel Akanji, and John Stones are all still out.
2 (67%)
(33%) 1
The Citizens have a more balanced squad, especially given Nottingham’s struggles in the attack, as they have the third-worst offense among the top 11 teams on the table. The Tricky Trees are not in their best form, having won only one of their last seven games in regulation time.
The 2025 Premier League betting apps have Man City as favorites for a reason. The Citizens managed to shut down the Spurs in their last away game, and they have regained some confidence in the last couple of matches.
2 (67%)
(33%) 1
The Man City players didn’t receive a single card in the last three games. They have gone under the total of cards in nine consecutive games, averaging only 1.44 cards per game. It’s a similar story for Nottingham Forest, who have received four or fewer cards in nine of their last 11 matches, so both teams have been less aggressive lately and committing only smart fouls.
2 (67%)
(33%) 1
Erling Haaland is still chasing Mohamed Salah on the 24/25 EPL top scorers list. The Norwegian striker has scored 20 goals so far, five fewer than the Liverpool winger. Haaland has a goal and an assist in 120 minutes since coming back from his injury, so he is in pretty good form right now. Erling has five goals and an assist in five encounters with Forest, which is an impressive record for the Man City forward.
This is a good opportunity for the Citizens to get back on track in the EPL, and they are available at attractive odds. Make sure you use our 2025 Nottingham Forest vs Man City betting predictions and bet them at the legal bookmakers in the UK to have more fun watching the game.
